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Private Full-Day Tour: The Hague, Delft & Rotterdam with Lunch and Dutch Guide
5.0
2 Ratings
Rotterdam
Unveil the hidden treasures of Holland on a private full-day tour of The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. Immerse yourself in history, culture, and modern wonders with a Dutch guide, private transfers, lunch, and insider tips. Customize your itinerary to include museums and attractions.
Duration:
7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- The Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery - I will meet you here, introduce myself and tell you something about the Mauritshuis and its history. Among others, this museum has the most famous paintings of Johannes Vermeer inside, both made in Delft of course!
- Binnenhof & Ridderzaal (Inner Court & Hall of the Knights) - We will briefly walk onto the square within the parliament complex. Here I will tell you about the significance and history of this place.
- Het Plein - We will walk through Het Plein (“The Square”) and take a moment to look around and talk about the statue that we see, Willem van Oranje: the father of the fatherland. Our current king is a direct descendant of him. We will see him again today!
- Hofvijver - The Hofvijver pond is situated in front of the parliament building and the prime minister’s office (the little tower!). You will learn about the significance of this place and some funny histoy.
- Thorbecke Monument - The statue of Thorbecke next to the Hofvijver is quite interesting. This statue has to do with our constitution! You will hear more about it.
- Lange Voorhout - This is the Champs-Élysées of The Hague. Quite a nice street! We will walk a bit and pass multiple embassies, an art museum, the temporary senate building, a statue gallery of the Dutch heads of states and some more interesting (royal) buildings.
- Grote Kerk - We will see the Grote Kerk (“Big Church”) of The Hague. What is that stork doing on top of it? Let’s see!
- Statue of Johan de Witt - Another statue! This is the only head of government of the Netherlands that has been eaten by an angry Dutch mob! That sounds a bit weird, but you’ll find out what happened.
- Oostpoort - We arrive here by car and we enter the city through its only gate still standing: the Oostpoort (“East Gate”). After a 5 minute walk, we will arrive at our lunch place. on the Beestenmarkt square
- Beestenmarkt - We have arrived at the Beestenmarkt (“Animal Market”). This is the coziest square of the city and the ideal place for us to have a lunch and a drink! There is enough to choose from. In the past, this square had quite a different function though.
- Maria van Jessekerk - Next up, we are passing by the first catholic church that was built in the center of Delft. There is something funny about the two towers… Also, it is standing on the spot where Johannes Vermeer used to live and make his paintings.
- Nieuwe Kerk - Now that we are on the Markt (“market”) square, we see the second-highest church in the Netherlands: our royal family is buried here. Why in Delft actually? If you want to, I can get you a ticket to climb the tower. Be warned, it is quite a climb!
- Stadhuis van Delft (City Hall Delft) - On the same square, we can see the old town hall of Delft. It is (partly) one of the oldest historical buildings of the city, dating to the 13th century. Next to being a town hall, the building has also served as a prison for many centuries, with one particularly famous prisoner!
- Old Church - We are now in the old beer brewing quarter of Delft. Where did all the brewers go though? We will also see the Old Church, perhaps the most recognizable building of the city. How old is it exactly and why is it so skewed? Who knows!? Well, I happen to know!
- Museum Prinsenhof Delft - We will have a little peak into the inner court of the former residence of Willem van Oranje, the same place where he was shot! There is another statue of him there, but this one is life-sized. Let’s see if you are taller than him!
- Gemeenlandshuis van Delfland - Close to the Oude Kerk, we will see a heavily decorated facade, that of the Gemeenlandshuis. What is this building and why was it so important? Also, we will “visit” the smallest museum of Delft!
- Armamentarium - We will walk along the oldest canal of Delft, away from the Oude Kerk. In the south of the city center, we will pass by a large former weapons Armory and the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (Delft Chamber)! Let’s find out more about Delft’s role in the golden days of the Dutch Republic. Also around here, we can take a look at the exact spot where Vermeer was standing when he made his famous painting ‘View of Delft’.
- Station Delft - Delft Railway Station - We will continue our walk back north past a parallel canal. On our way, we will pass by some more interesting places. We end up next to Station Delft, where a private car will take us to Rotterdam.
- City Hall Rotterdam - We arrive on the Coolsingel by car, in the heart of Rotterdam, near the town hall. We will see the outside (and possibly the inside) of the town hall or Rotterdam! After this, we will make our way towards Rotterdam Blaak and then the Old Harbor.
- Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk - Just next to the modern Market Hall stands a 14th century church. Its tower miraculously survived the bombing of Rotterdam. Today, it is mostly used as an event location. Let’s find out more about the church and about Erasmus!
- Markthal - Now we will enter the impressive Markthal (“Market hall”). The two sides of the building contain many apartments and inside you can enjoy different foods from around the world. And don’t forget to look up and look at one of the biggest pieces of art on the planet!
- Kijk-Kubus - We are going to visit one of the funny looking Cubic Houses, a product of the 70’s, completed in the early 80’s: typical for Rotterdam. Yes, people actually live there! Let’s find out how practical that is.
- Witte Huis - Het Witte Huis (“The White House”) was the first skyscraper in Europe! It is also one of the few buildings here to survive the bombing of the center of Rotterdam.
- Old Harbour - We are now in the Oude Haven (“Old Harbor”). This is now a lively recreational area with quite a view, where we can see some old ships that are anchored here. This is where we will end the tour, allowing you to settle down on one of the many terraces/bars in this area, or continue your way to the city center. You could even go to the south bank of the river Maas from here, within 10 minutes. Whatever it is you want to do after the tour, feel free to ask for some recommendations!
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Ticket to climb church tower (optional)
- Snacks provided
- Lunch included
- Umbrella provided (weather-dependent)
- Personal Dutch guide
- Tour inside a Cubic House
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Bypass Amsterdam! Discover Holland’s Hidden Gems in a Single Memorable Day! Embark on an extraordinary journey led by a full-day private tour guide that will plunge you into the deep history, contemporary culture, and impressive advancements of The Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam. Spot the contrasts (and resemblances?) across these three distinct cities in a day! From the Netherlands’ Golden Age to the contemporary Manhattan on the Meuse: An ideal beginning to South Holland that will exceed your assumptions.
This tour package comes with an engaging private Dutch guide (who wouldn’t enjoy that!?), two private car rides (from The Hague to Delft and from Delft to The Hague), a delightful lunch (at the most charming square in Delft) and a chance to step inside a Cubic House (undoubtedly in Rotterdam). You can look forward to insider tips for each city. And don’t forget: You are in control of this private tour’s rhythm!
If there’s a specific museum or attraction you’d like to include, don’t hesitate to let us know!
Location
Rotterdam Blaak
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(2 Ratings)
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1 star
H8093kajeremyk
Nov 1, 2023
Personal tour through 3 very different cities - We originally booked a tour through The Hague and Delft only, but we decided to add Rotterdam too, since our guide Robin was from there! He was right on time and very well prepared. We had a wonderful time during the tour (which even lasted slightly longer than indicated!) and we still cannot quite decide what city we liked most, although I have to say that Delft very positively surprised us! The tour itself was relaxed, personal and fun. If you're visiting South Holland, we recommend this activity for a good impression of the area. Good luck with the next visitors 😊.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
